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Microsoft Is Facing a Lawsuit for Patent Infringement in Its Exclusives

Xbox Exclusives Allegedly Utilize Unlicensed Technology

Infernal Technologies and Terminal Reality are filing a lawsuit against Microsoft for what has been termed “egregious and wilful’ patent infringement. Officially, specifically, Microsoft is being sued over their use of designated patents 6,362,822 and 7,061,488, which deal with graphical lighting and shadowing in the Infernal Engine.

Per Gamesindustry.biz, we learn that Microsoft allegedly infringed on Terminal Reality’s patents via the unlicensed use of software in certain Xbox exclusive titles. These include, but are not limited to, Crackdown, Halo 5, multiple Forza installments, and Sea of Thieves.

It was during the development of BloodRayne,Nocturne, and The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct that Terminal Reality built the patented tech we see in Xbox titles. Afterward, they licensed the Infernal Engine to multiple studios. This dates as far back as 2005, ever since which—the developer contests—Microsoft has been “intimately familiar” with patents ‘822 and ‘488. 2007 then saw Microsoft file a patent that was rejected for, essentially, mimicking Infernal Engine tech. But if the filings ring true, then it seems the company went ahead and implemented patented technology without permission.

Previously, back in 2016, Terminal Reality and Infernal Technologies filed a similar lawsuit against EA. After EA attempted to discredit the lawsuit, they were found at fault and ultimately forced to reach a settlement. Time will tell if we see a similar conclusion with Microsoft. Feel free to let us know your thoughts on these proceedings in the comments below.